Water-cooling device



May 9, 1950 M. A. STICELBER WATER COOLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 25, 1946WATER 5 FROM RECEIVER OUTLET IN VENTOR MERLIN A. STICELBER BY PM;ATTORNEY Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES WATER-COOLING DEVICE MerlinA. Sticelber, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to Stickelber & Sons, Inc., acorporation of Missouri Application February 25, 1946, Serial No.650,035

My invention relates to liquid coolers, and more particularly to a watercooling apparatus.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a simple and efiicient watercooling device that is so constructed and arranged as to have highefiiciency and at the same time prevent formation of ice on the coolingcoil, this being accomplished by setting up a rapidly moving flow of theliquid over the turns of the coil in a direction generally axial of thecoil and controlling the flow of reirigerant by thermostatic means insuch a manner as to maintain the temperature 01 the body of liquid inthe cooling device at a temperature sufliciently above the freezingpoint to prevent such ice formation.

More particularly my invention comprises an elongated tank, preferably,substantially circular in cross section with means for mounting acooling coil which is, preferably, helical in character, therein so thatsaid coil extends longitudinally of the tank and the axis of said coilis co-axial with the axis of the tank, and to provide means for creatinga flow of liquid in a generally longitudinal direction of said tank andcooling coil, said means comprising a propeller that is mounted with itsaxis of rotation substantially on the axis of the cooling coil and thetank, within the coil.

My invention further provides new and improved simple mounting means fora cooling coil of the above mentioned character, said mounting meansincluding a, pair of longitudinally extending tubular members supportingthe turns of the coil and connected with said coil and with conduitmeans extending from the receiver or" a direct expansion refrigeratingsystem and to the compressor of such a system, so that the refrigerantwill pass from the receiver into one end of the cooling coil and to'thecompressor from the other end thereof throughsaid mounting means. .Otherobjects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description ofthe drawing proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I donot intend to limit myself to the 3 Claims. (Cl. 257-235) proved watercooling means comprises a substantially cylindrical tank I0 mounted onsuitable supports II and having a concavo-convex head #2 at one endthereof, which is permanently secured liquid tight to the cylindricalside wall portion of said tank, and a similar concavoconvex head I3,which is detachably secured to the cylindrical body portion of the tankI0, said body portion I0 and head I3 being provided with flanges id andI5, which are secured together by bolts or similar securing means I6 forsecuring the detachable head portion'to said tank. A liquid tight jointis provided in any suitable manner between the flanges I4 and I5,suitable gasket material being provided therebetween, if this isfound tobedesirable.

Mounted in fixed position in openings in the heads I2 and I3 are thesleeve-like members I1, IE, IS and 29, said sleeve-like members beingsecured in liquid tight relation in the openings in the heads I2 and I3.Mounted in the sleevelike members I8 and I9 is a tubular member 2I andmounted in the sleeve-like members I! and. 25 is a tubular member-22,said sleeve-like members I8 and I9 being longitudinally aligned witheach other and the sleevelike members I! and 28 being longitudinallyaligned with each other. The tubular members 2| and 22 may be pipes orsimilar members, and are of such a size as to fit snugly within thesleeves [1, I8, I9 and 2B and are, preferably welded therein so as tomake a liquid tight joint between each sleeve and the tubular membermounted therein.

The tubular members 2I and 22 are each made up of two lengths of pipe ortubing with a T interposed between the two lengths of pipe or tubing,the T 23 being provided on the tubular member 2! and the T 24 beingprovided on the tubular member 22. The T 23 is located near the end ofthe tubular member-2| remote from the head 43, while the T 24 is locatednear the end of the tubular member 22 that passes through the head I3,Connected with the T 23 is one end of a spiral or helical cooling coil25, the other end thereof being connected with the T 24.: The turns 25of the coil 25 aremounted on the tubular members 2! and 22, said tubularmembers 2I and 22 supporting said turns of said coil and serving as thesole support therefor, and being so located that the axis of the coil 25coincides with the axis of the cylindrical wall portion II] of the tank,the turns 28 of the coil being located at a point closer to the wall I!)than to the axis of the cylindrical portion It to thus provide a passageofrelatively great diameter axially through the cooling coil 25. Plugs 8and 9 are mounted in the tubular members 2! and 22, respectively, toshut off the portions thereof to the left of the Ts 23 and 24,respectively, from the refrigerant passage to the right thereof. Theends of the tubular members extending into the sleeves I! and I8 mayalso be closed.

The end of the tubular member 2| extending through the head I3 isconnected with the liquid refrigerant pipe 27, which extends from thereceiver of a conventional refrigeratin system, an.

expansion valve 28 being interposed in the pipe 2'! adjacent the tubularmember 21. The portion 1 of the tubular member 22 that extends throughthe head i3 has the suction. pipe"29. leading to the compressor of aconventional refrigerating system connected therewith, the bulb 36 of athermostatic control for the'expansion valve 28 being, preferably,mounted on the suction pipe adjacent the connection therewith to thetubular member 22. The flow of refrigerant accordingly is-from theexpansion valve 23 through the tubular-member 2| to the end of thecoil25 adjacent the head 12 through the succeeding turns of the cooling coil25to the T 24 and through the tubular member 22 to the suction pipe 29.

The head I3 is providedwith a central opening 3 l which isprovidedwith aflange 32 provided withscrew-threaded members 33 receiving nuts tosecure the base plate 34 thereto; Mounted on the base plate 34 is acollar 35' in which is mounted the bronze bearing sleeve 38 for thepropeller shaft 31, a-liquid tight joint being provided around the shaft3l-by means of a packing gland 38 cooperating with the sleeve 36 in theusual manner, and a mass-ofpacking material 35 provided inthe housingEll, which is mounted on the base plate lid-in any suitable manner, asby meansof a flangebolted onto said base plate, as shown in'Fig. 2. Thehousin 456 is also provided'with a bearing opening 4| therein for thepropeller shaft 37. The bearing sleeve'36 is fixed in the col1ar35 and asuitable thrust collar 42 is provided between the'end of the bearingsleeve 36 and the spacing sleeve 33 provided between the hub portion a lof a propeller 45 and said thrust collar i2: The shaft 37 has mountedthereon to rotate therewith'a pulley 46, the hub portion ll "of which isin engagement with the end wallof the housing 40'.

Thepropeller '45 is detachably mounted on the shaft in any desiredmanner so as to rotate therewith. The blades of the propeller 45 havesuch pitch and'the rotation of the shaft is in the proper direction toadvance a stream of Water parallel to the axis of rotation of thepropeller to the left of the propeller as viewed in Fig. 2, and to drawa stream of water substantially par allel to the axis of the shaft fromthe right of the propeller into the same. As a result of such rotationof the propeller there is a rapid flow of a stream ofwater createdwithin the coil 25 in the direction of the axis thereof, some of thestream of water being defiected'by the turns of the coil 25 so as toflow between-theturns and into the space outside the coil, or betweenthe coil and the cylindrical tank wall. The major portion of the stream,however; will flow to the head I2 and be deflected by the concave wallthereof toward the cylindrical shell of the tank It! and flow back fromleft'to right, as viewed in Fig. 2', toward the end of the tank that isprovided with the head l3. As a result there will be a rapid flowofwater or other liquid around all portions of thecooling coil so as toprevent any accumulation of ice on the turns of the coil, provided thatthe temperature of the water is maintained slightly above the freezingpoint. The pulley 45 may be driven by any suitable means.

The water inlet is, preferably, through a pipe 48, which is welded orotherwise mounted liquid tight within a sleeve-like member 49, which iswelded liquid tight in anopening in the head I2. A T 53 is, preferably,connectedwith the water inlet pipe 68 and a pipe 5! is connected withthe T 56, the pipe 5i leadin from a suitable source of water supply. Thebulb 52 is mounted within the tank closely adjacent the Water inlet andhas aliquid material therein, which is also prow'ded .in thetubularmember 53 extending therefrom through the T 5tlto a switch 54, a liquidtight joint bein provided between the tubular member 53 and thedownwardly extending branch of the T 50.

The liquid in the bulb 52 and tubular member 53 is of such a characterthat it expands upon rise in temperature and contracts upon drop intemperature and is operatively connected with suitable switching meansinthe switch 5% so that said switching means will move to circuitclosing position upon rise of the temperature of the liquid surroundingthe bulb 52 above a predetermined value and will open upon drop of thetemperature around the bulb below a predetermined value. The switch M-isinterposed ina circuit controlling operation of the compressor of aconventional refrigerating system, being interposed between theconductors 55 and 56', which are'part of the controlling circuit-of saidcompressor. .Said'controlling system is so-arranged that the compressorwill operate whenever the temperature of the water around the bulb 52reaches a predetermined maximum temperature and" will cease operatingwhenever the temperature of the water around the bulb 52' reaches apredetermined low temperature, said low temperature being suflicientlyabove the freezin point of water that witli'the agitation created in thebody of liquid by the propeller 45 ice will not form on the coils 25 ofthe cooling coil 25. A cold water outlet pipe 5'! is mounted liquidtight in a sleeve 53-, which in turn is secured liquid tight in anopening in the head l2 near the bottom of the tank.

Due to the provision of the propeller, not only will the cooling coil beprevented from becoming covered with ice, but the liquid will be sothoroughly agitated and continuously flowing from end to end of the tankthat the temperature thereof will be substantially uniform throughout,and as a result the temperature of the water flowing through the outletpipe 57 will be kept substantially uniform at all times.

What I claim is:

l. A liquid cooling device, comprising a horizontally elongatedcylindrical tank providing a liquid chamber, said tank having heads atthe opposed ends thereof, a pair of straight tubular members mounted insaid heads and extending horizontally between the same substantiallyparallel to the axis of said tank, and-a helical cooling coil mounted insaid tank with its axis extending horizontally on the axis of said tank;said coil having the turns thereof lying externally of said tubularmembers, said turns being each engaged at opposite sides thereof by saidtubular members to support said coil and said coil having one endthereof secured to one of said tubular members and the other end thereofsecured to the other tubular member.

2. A liquid cooling device, comprising an elongated cylindrical tankproviding a liquid chamber, said tank having heads at the opposed endsthereof, a pair of tubular members mounted in said heads and extendinglengthwise of said tank between the same substantially parallel to theaxis of said tank, and a helical expansion coil mounted in said tankwith its axis substantially on the axis of said tank and embracing saidtubular members, said coil having each of the turns thereof engaged atopposite sides by said tubular members to support said coil and havingthe ends thereof secured one to each of said tubular members, one ofsaid tubular members being connected with one end of said coil toprovide a refrigerant inlet connection thereto, and the other of saidtubular members being connected with the other end of said coil toprovide a suction connection leading therefrom.

3. A liquid cooling device, comprising an elongated cylindrical tankproviding a liquid chamber, said tank having heads at the opposed endsthereof, a pair of tubular members mounted in said heads and extendingbetween the same sub-- stantially parallel to the axis of said tank, ahelical expansion coil mounted in said tank with its axis substantiallyon the axis of said tank and embracing said tubular members, said coilhaving the turns thereof engaged at opposite sides by said tubularmembers to support said coil and having the ends thereof secured one toeach of said tubular members, one of said tubular mem" bers beingconnected with one end of said coil to provide a refrigerant inletconnection thereto and the other of said members being connected withthe other end of said coil to provide a suction connection leadingtherefrom, the space within the helix of said coil being open tounrestricted flow of liquid therein in all directions from end to endthereof, and means within said coil rotating about the axis of said coilto create a flow of liquid longitudinally of said coil from end to endthereof and between the turns thereof.

MERLIN A. STICELBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 577,925 Lothes Mar. 2, 18971,175,147 Howard Mar. 14, 1916 1,733,760 Spreen Oct. 29, 1929 1,828,989Wade Oct. 27, 1931 2,071,624 Graham Feb. 23, 1937 2,210,031 Greene Aug.6, 1940 2,300,058 Osborn, Jr., et al. Oct. 27, 1942

